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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26030533">Happy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonet/pseuds/Amonet'>Amonet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stony Ficlets [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Nightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:28:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26030533</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonet/pseuds/Amonet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"When Steve wakes up, the other side of the bed is cold and empty. It would not be a surprise – Tony tends to leave before the sun rises – if it were not for the open door and the fact that the second blanket was missing."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stony Ficlets [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1201591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Happy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Steve wakes up, the other side of the bed is cold and empty. It would not be a surprise – Tony tends to leave before the sun rises – if it were not for the open door and the fact that the second blanket was missing.</p><p>There is light in the living room and Steve follows it just to find it as empty as the bedroom. He looks around for a moment as if Tony would hide if he were in here, before switching off the lights and turning to leave. But darkness reveals what the light had kept hidden and Steve can make out Tony’s silhouette on the platform outside, wrapped in a blanket as his only protection against the cold December night. Steve knows, because his clothes are still spread around the apartment He must be cold, freezing, probably, depending on how long he’s been out there. Still, he is not moving, just staring down on the streets of New York. He hasn’t noticed Steve's presence yet, he is still caught up in his own thoughts and Steve doubts he would notice an explosion right now. Tony has a way of shifting all of his focus onto a single task and while it certainly comes in handy sometimes, at other times it just makes Steve worry for Tony's safety.</p><p>He moves slowly and makes an effort to be heard, to not startle Tony, but it is of no use. The moment Steve steps next to him he flinches and Steve has to stop his flailing arms from hitting him in the face.</p><p>“Whoa! It’s just me.” Steve says, catching Tony’s hand in mid-air.</p><p>“Sorry. I was- Never mind.” Tony turns his gaze back to the city, his eyes flickering over the skyline.</p><p>“Nightmares again?” Steve should know better than to ask by now, he realises, when a shadow falls over Tony’s face at the mere mention of the word.</p><p>“Does it matter? An hour less doesn’t make a difference, does it?” Tony looks so incredibly tired, a splitting contrast to his words. His skin seems even paler in the low light and the bags under his eyes look pitch black. Steve just wants to wrap him in another blanket and take him back to bed. </p><p>“You could stay longer. Sleep here. No one would notice.” Steve says, even though he knows it’s useless. When Tony is stuck on something there is no moving him.</p><p>“That’s a shit idea and we both know it. I have work to do anyway, I should probably get to it.” He doesn’t move, doesn’t even look back at the door. The wind makes him shiver and even Steve, who is much more resistant can feel the chill down to his bones.</p><p>“Come inside at least. It’s cold.” Tony nods and doesn’t move. For a moment there is nothing but quiet, Steve waiting for Tony to do something, leave or move closer or anything really and then Tony - he moves away. Not a lot, just a few inches, but it still hurts, that, even now, when no one can see them, Tony won’t stand by him. He knows it's not him, it's just that Tony is pathologically afraid of getting attached. Trust is earned, he reminds himself. </p><p>“It’s almost Christmas,” he finally says when he can’t take the silence anymore and that makes Tony turn towards him, even if he only gets a non-committal ‚hmm‘ as an answer. “I thought we could spend it together.”</p><p>For a moment it is almost comical how the shock spreads over Tony’s face, how he takes another surprised step back and looks at Steve like he has completely lost his mind.</p><p>“What the fuck, Steve?” Tony throws his arms up in the air, exasperated. The blanket falls to the ground but Tony doesn't seem to care. “Why would you even say that?”</p><p>“Because I want to spend Christmas with you. I’ll be here anyway and all you have to do is not go to Egypt or Macau or wherever you’re planning on escaping to this year. You don’t even have to do anything. We don’t need a tree or a turkey, we can just order in and watch a Christmas-unrelated movie. It’s not about the traditions, but I’d still like it if we spent the day together.”</p><p>“Why would I do that?” Tony doesn’t look convinced.</p><p>“Because it would make me very happy. Please, Tony. Don’t you want to make me happy?” It’s emotional blackmail, he knows that but sometimes he has to force happiness on Tony. He knows that this will make him happy – very happy. Eventually. It might take a while. In the meantime, Steve will just have to find a way to make it up to him.</p><p>“Of course I want to make you happy,” Tony says and visibly deflates. “Okay. Christmas at the tower it is then.” He doesn’t look too unhappy with the decision to give in.</p><p>“Good,” Steve says and smiles. It makes Tony smile too, just the tiniest bit. Steve can work with that. “Will you come back to bed now?” </p><p>“Yeah,” Tony says, to Steve's surprise and this time he actually turns to the door. “Let’s get some sleep.”</p>
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